Gemfrost
by Blushing.Violet
Summary: What good was it? If he wanted to suffer from the winter's glacial takeover, then let him. It shouldn't have been any of her concern... Should it? Knouge. Oneshot.


~**G**em**F**rost~

She watched in silent awe as streaks of chilled frost danced for her in the wind, bending and twisting as flakes of mere dust. Time seemed to slur with them. What felt like nothing more than the beginning of darkness had somehow merged itself into the hours of milky twilight. She eased into the large recliner of the living room, wrapped herself tighter in the embroidered fleece and wondered where he might be, right now.

There was certainly at least eight inches, if not more, of the powder surging down to earth in its silent fury as she gazed out the window, lost. Her ear twitched, slightly.

Rouge felt somewhat of a certain... obligation to his, safety. After all he'd done only the same for her numerous of times; in which she'd spoil the moment before her creeping blush became warm and apparent. That'd get her a cocky smirk. But it was always a cute cocky smirk, and she'd felt internally ecstatic whenever he'd offer it.

She stopped trying to understand herself anymore.

But, he'd probably insist he could take care of himself if she dare even bothered.

Which would mean having her tail nearly frozen off would be a sacrifice in vain.

Still, an old friend called 'guilt' tugged at the back of her mind every few minutes after she'd loose track of it. Stubborn one, it always was. Rouge sipped her tea subconsciously, and watched the blizzard worsen.

Knuckles was never one for comfort. He always seemed to enjoy 'roughing things', thinking that somehow it proved to others and even himself he was die-hard. Invulnerable. Earning and pridefully cradling the strength of his ancestors that lay fallen warriors under earth, unmarked yet still known. It gave him the sense of being invincible, if you wanted to say.

He'd stood so perfectly still against the angered blizzard that it pushed harder. It _wanted_ to see his dreadlocks start chipping off at the ends, it _longed_ to see his eyes grow foggy and his gloves grow nipped and bitter and their barbs crack and fall off. And the fact that he just _stood_ there, acting as if it was no more than a kiss from the warmth of spring, was irritating it tremendously.

As long as he could still feel all of his limbs and the cold, thin air had the mercy to avoid stripping him of his breath, he could handle it. No big.

His legs, half buried in snow, twitched uncomfortably. Knuckles gave in and scattered the substance with a few kicks and raised his eyes heavenward for a moment, as if asking why _this_ storm had to slam _this _island. Known for its tropics and warmth.

But no matter. Weather generally reduced traffic and he acquired the peace he always wanted. Snow was silent and beautiful. Perfection.

"You know you can stand by that stupid thing all you want, but no one in their _right mind_ would bother with Old Man Winter heaving and breathing threat and murder on us all." He'd dare to turn to the source. "Not now, anyway." She quipped seriously, striding cautiously towards him. He exhaled resignedly, warmth escaping him in a clouded huff and for a moment, sensing his agitation, she stopped her advance; placing a hand on her hip.

"What?" She dripped.

"I was kind of hoping that you'd be one of the smart ones, y'know, _in their right mind_," He quoted her, "…That actually decided to stay indoors for once. I mean you," The echidna stared at her, briefly enough before turning towards the landscape, uneasily.

"You don't even care do you? Look at you." He stated, bleakly. "Aren't you frigid?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, skeptically dodging the question. She was warm. Enough. The fur-trimmed gloves and boots along with a small scarf were sufficient. She wasn't to be out here long; Shadow'd lost his key yet again and she knew it was unwise to keep him waiting, lest he'd beat her back to the apartment.

"I was hoping to ask you the same thing. What's wrong with you? I mean, your infinitesimal brain hasn't been internally _damaged_, has it?" She smirked, striding up and knocking playfully on the sulky echidna's cranium.

"It's almost below zero Knux. For crying aloud. Have a least a little common sense, will ya?"

He waited a few instants, as if letting it set in. "Why, you _care_ now or something?" He scoffed harshly, rippled clouds trailing after it.

"You're the one that asked first." The bat countered, "So let me ask you." She answered, coyly.

"Why so concerned about _my_ welfare—"

"You misunderstood my question." He quickly interrupted, earning a half eye roll. "If people like you are darn stupid enough to come out here and ask me how the heck I'm doing, than what stops them from braving the elements and using them against me to take the emerald?" He snapped. God, this was always business.

She was silent for a few moments; throwing together a comeback, of some sorts. He'd seemed quite pleased with himself in fending her off. Rouge hadn't expected such _extremes_ coming from him.

The world seemed to grow lifeless and stark, as if color bled from the coloring book-esque scenery. The only trace of life left were two squirrels jumping and wrestling one another for a recovered acorn under a tree. The winner twitched his nose, beady eyes shining and in each movement a gentle twitch he stalked up the tree. The loosing squirrel charged up at him from afar, causing the other to screech nasally and defend its prize again. Knuckles glanced and huffed contemptibly at her, feeding his desire for her to leave and _her_ urging sense of letting him _freeze_ to death.

"You, have somewhere to go, right? Incase it's too much?" Rouge questioned, softly. That's all she really wanted to know, actually. Her tone threw him off completely, as his armored shields lowered themselves with caution. A twinge of guilt stabbed him like the loss of sensation in his dreadlocks. They were no more than fiery red icicles now.

"Yeah…" He trailed questionably, drawing out the word as if it would cause the island to implode.

"Underground storage." He mentioned, more to himself. "It's not much better, but—"

"That's good then." She smiled quickly over her shoulder; wings unfolding themselves in stages as they adjusted to the thin air. Another round of flakes intertwined themselves with the wind and twirled mercilessly at its command.

Hushed moonlight under the layers of clouds cast a captivating silver gaze on the figures; alabaster and lackluster to them. The bat gazed at him for about a minute, prying her eyes away before he felt her dead stare on his back. She should've figured. All this time she could've been dodging the crystallized stingers as they nipped her limbs at the touch and disintegrated as if no more than a figment. He was fine out here. He could _die_ out here and she wouldn't say a word about it. "At least I can—"

Rouge felt herself misstep on one of the patches of ice and fall back pathetically.

Or at least, that's what gravity connivingly planned to for her to do.

Within the split second of reaction time, her arms crashed backwards into his, roughly.

She noticed herself staring unintentionally long into the violet, diffident eyes looming over her head. Fear overthrew their breath; she felt herself in a cold, weakened tremble and felt her heart jolting with sickened throbs to crack her ribs and be freed of its prison.

He helped her gain her footing, carefully; their gaze seemed to interlock as Knuckles tore away first, seemingly begrudged at it. Chilling silence gushed over them as the bat crossed her arms; glaring so hard at the scattered, thick erratic sheets of ice she was sure to cause it to crack within the next minute, or so.

It was as if she couldn't go a minute around him without causing the air to thicken and solidify until neither could breathe. She hated and yet loved these forsaken little meetings; be it the aftermath was always hardest.

He gazed off in the other direction, cheeks unintentionally warming at his idiotic yet involuntary act. Knuckles felt some sort of apology to be in order, knowing how she was... Before he knew what was going on again, reality cuffing him and his meaningless muses scattering with a mental flick of the wrist, she was gone. Without a 'thank, you.'

Both found themselves falling under more ways than one.

* * *

**I actually forgot I had this. It wasn't done too long ago, either. Hmm. Ever start writing something for one fandom and ten minutes later you find that you're incorporating little details from another and then decide to just switch it over? Shameless way to come up with a oneshot. I know. This started as a Jimella attempt and warped itself into a Knouge. Ye-heh. Ah well. It's all good, right? ;) I hope it's okay.**


End file.
